A Tickle In Your Heart
by Crazy4TR112
Summary: James meets Nina Cowell, author of a book about finding your true love. Nina is sweet, cute, and doesn't carry a mallet around. But is she the one for him? Or is it Jessie that gives him a tickle in his heart? Rocketshippy


A Tickle In Your Heart   
Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of its characters. I'm writing FANfiction, okay?! 

Sometimes, when James wakes up, he can just tell what kind of day it's going to be. He can tell when they're unofficially taking the day off, he can tell when Meowth will put all plans on hold until he can polish his charm, and he can tell when he's going to need a First Aid kit after being bashed in the head by Jessie's mallet countless times.   
On this particular day, James had a good feeling. He just knew they weren't going to be blasted off, they'd meet a helpful person, and he wasn't going to be scratched by claws or bashed by a mallet. And while all those things were true, he also had another feeling. He was confident that he wouldn't get Jessie mad at him and that today was going to be an absolutely perfect day. How wrong he was.   
The day started off fine. They discussed their plan to capture Pikachu over breakfast, Meowth complimented him on the cooking, Jessie was wearing one of his oversized t-shirts that she had slept in, and she actually smiled at him for seemingly no reason. And most of all, he found out something he never knew about his lovely partner.   
He was washing the dishes after they finished eating breakfast and had changed into their uniforms. Jessie, being her usual cruel self, was teasing him.   
"You missed a spot," she said, looking over his shoulder at the plate he held.   
"Where?" he asked, looking down.   
"There," she answered, flicking his nose roughly.   
"Ow!"   
She smirked at him and started to walk away as his hand reached out behind him in an attempt to get her back. His fingers brushed her bare stomach and before she could stop herself, a short laugh escaped her lips and she froze.   
'Oh no…' she thought.   
She turned to face him and saw a slow, evil smile spread across his face as he set down the plate.   
"James," she started to say…   
"Dear Jessie…" he said in a low voice, "I didn't know you were…TICKLISH!" he exclaimed, turning and reaching out to tickle her revealed skin mercilessly. Laughter filled the room as Jessie tried to escape from his torturous hands.   
"James, stop it! Stop!" she cried out, trying to sound as threatening as someone who was being tickled to death possibly could.   
James grinned as she giggled and laughed. He forgot all about washing the dishes. Tickling Jessie was way more important, after all.   
But, obviously, not as important as allowing his partner to retain her dignity in front of loud mouth scratch cats. As soon as Meowth walked into the room, James immediately dropped his hands.   
"What's all da laughin' about?" he asked.   
Jessie was still trying to control her dying giggle fit, so James answered for them.   
"Oh, I just told Jess this really funny joke."   
"Yeah," Jessie said. "It was so funny," she remarked, hitting James hard on the back.   
"Whatever," Meowth rolled his eyes. "We'd better get goin' if we're gonna make it in time."   
"Where are we going, Meowth?"   
"A book signin'."   
Jessie and James looked at each other, then at the pokémon.   
"A book signing?" 

In the next town there was a book signing going on in one of the small bookstores. It was for a book called "A Tickle In Your Heart" and it was a book all about love and how you know you've found the right person and such. It just so happened that Brock owned this book and just had to get it signed. The author was a pretty girl, after all. Nina Cowell. Jessie, James, and Meowth went to the book store and decided to follow the twerps as soon as they left and carry out their plan. James stood with his partners over by one of the bookshelves and watched the group. He could see Brock was getting his book signed…and of course, gushing over Nina. James could see why…she was kind of cute. Not as attractive as Jessie, of course, but cute.   
'Actually…really cute…' James noticed as he moved closer to get a better look.   
"James!" Jessie hissed, pulling him back sharply. "What are you doing? Do you want those twerps to see us?"   
"I t'ink he was checkin' out that Nina Cowell girl," Meowth snickered.   
"Don't be ridiculous, Meowth," James muttered, an involuntary blush inching across his face.   
Jessie gave him an odd look, frowning slightly. When she looked back at the line, she noticed the twerps had gone.   
"Darn it! We lost them!" she growled. "Come on!"   
The trio hurried outside and split up to see which way they had gone.   
James walked quickly, sneaking around corners and such, turning his head to look for them. In other words, not watching where he was going…   
BUMP!   
"Oof!"   
James fell back onto the sidewalk.   
"Oh! I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" came the concerned voice above him.   
He looked up and found himself looking right into the large brown eyes of Nina Cowell.   
"Oh, I…I'm fine," he replied.   
'Wow, she has pretty eyes…'   
Nina still looked apologetic.   
"Here, let me help you," she said, extending her hand down to him.   
He hesitated for a second, then took her hand and allowed her to help him up. Their hands remained together for a while longer and even when they parted, their fingertips brushed against each other's.   
"Thanks…"   
"It's no problem, um…what's your name?"   
"My name? It's uh…"   
"You do know your name, don't you?" she giggled.   
"It's James…my name's James," he said, blushing.   
"It's nice to meet you, James," she said.   
She smiled sweetly at him and he blushed even more.   
'She has a pretty smile, too… Jessie hardly ever smiles at me like that.'   
"My name is Nina," she said.   
"Oh, I know. You wrote that book…uh…"   
She nodded.   
"Yes. 'A Tickle In Your Heart'. Have you read it?"   
"No, I haven't, actually."   
'But I will now…' he thought.   
"Well," Nina said, "I'm doing a public reading later today at the book store…" she paused and blushed, "and it's free, if you want to come."   
"I'd love to," he readily agreed.   
She smiled.   
"Great! I'll see you there, then?" she asked, happily.   
"Definitely." 

"A what?"   
Jessie and Meowth looked at James with uninterested expressions.   
"A public book reading," he repeated.   
"Why would we go to one of dose?" Meowth asked.   
Jessie looked at James, then realized it.   
"It's that Nina, isn't it? She's doing a public reading of her book, isn't she?"   
James nodded. Meowth smirked.   
"I knew it! I knew you liked her!"   
Jessie scowled and tried to control the anger building inside of her.   
"James, we don't have time for that. The twerps are leaving the town tonight. It's out of our way."   
"Yeah, but…"   
"No buts!" She paused. "Besides…it's a stupid idea for a book, anyway."   
"It is not!" James said, a little light sparking in his eye.   
"Yes, it is. A book that tells you if you're with your true love? Please."   
James scoffed.   
"What would you know about love anyway?"   
Jessie's eyes narrowed at this remark. Meowth looked at James, disbelieving.   
"I know enough. And no stupid book written by some stupid girl—"   
"She isn't stupid!"   
"It doesn't matter! Because we are going to catch Pikachu and we are not going to a book reading!" she yelled, turning away from him and crossing her arms.   
Normally, James would've dropped it by now. But he was angry.   
"Why do you have to be like this?! Why are you denying me a chance to see Nina?! Why can't you be happy that I've actually found someone I like who might like me back?!"   
Jessie closed her eyes tightly. She fought to keep back the tears she felt stinging at her eyes.   
"Because…"   
"Because why?!"   
"Just because!"   
James scowled and glared at her back.   
"Well, I'm going to that reading, whether you like it or not!"   
"Fine! Go and be with that plain-looking girl!"   
"I'd rather be with a plain-looking girl than one who looked exactly like Jezebel!"   
Jessie's eyes flew wide open at this and Meowth gasped. Even James, as mad as he was, felt a sting of guilt. He had really gotten out of line there. He knew how much Jessie hated being compared to her. A pained silence floated in the air.   
"Jessie, I—"   
"Shut up and go!" she yelled angrily, wheeling around and backhanding him hard across the face before storming off.   
"Fine," he snarled at the air, then walked away, towards the book store.   
Meowth stood in a dazed, confused silence, deciding to simply return to the cabin and wait to see how things turned out.   
  
  


"Hi everyone! I'm Nina Cowell, author of 'A Tickle In Your Heart'! Thank you all for coming!"   
Nina's voice sounded in the back of James' mind, but he was still thinking back on the argument with Jessie. He had never been so angry with her! She was his friend…she was supposed to be happy for him, wasn't she? Of course, now that he thought about it, whenever she swooned over guys, he wasn't exactly jumping for joy. But he never chewed her out about it or said anything mean about the guys… He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.   
"I just don't get her sometimes," he muttered.   
"True love is something special," Nina was saying. "You only get one chance at it—so you better make it work before you lose it and regret it forever. But how do you know if you've really found your true love? Easy—a tickle in your heart. When you look at them, you feel it. When you touch them, you feel it. When they smile, you feel it. It's always there whenever you're around them. It's always a tickle in your heart."   
James thought about this. When he had talked to Nina…when he saw her pretty brown eyes and smile…when he touched her hand…his heart jumped—like there were bunnies inside of it. But it didn't really tickle… His heart fluttered--like there were butterflies inside of it. But it didn't really tickle…   
'What about Jessie?' a voice in the back of his mind asked.   
Although she wasn't his favorite person at the moment, James allowed himself to think about Jessie. He did feel…funny around her. But he wasn't sure his heart was being tickled. Of course, he's known her for so long, he's grown accustomed to the feeling…so it might be a tickle.   
"When you've found that one person, you feel complete. You feel like a part of your life that you've always been missing, has been found."   
Well…Jessie had filled a void in his life. After he ran away from home, away from security, Jessie was the first to accept him and befriend who he really was.   
"When you've found that one person, you memorize everything about them. You can tell when they're angry, sad, or happy. You can look into their eyes and read them. You can lose yourself in their eyes."   
'Wow, that's scary…' James thought. 'That sounds exactly like me and Jessie…'   
He knew her every expression. A tilt of her head, a gleam in her eye, a wave of her hand…James knew it all. And her eyes… Sure, Nina's eyes were pretty. But could he really get lost in them, like he does in Jessie's eyes? Could he really feel like he was falling into the depths of the ocean…or soaring in the never ending sky? Nina's eyes were pretty…but Jessie's eyes were special.   
"When you've found that one person…no one else in the world matters. It's all about them. Whether you've known them all your life, or for only a few moments," her eyes met with his when she said this, "they are all that matters. They are the only one. And you can feel it in your heart. You can feel the tickle."   
James held her eyes for several minutes and concentrated hard…and felt nothing. No tickle at all.   
  


The sun was just beginning to set. Jessie had stormed around the town a few times before settling on a spot on a railing on a pedestrian crossing bridge. She rested her arms on the railing, one hand propped under her chin as she looked out at the view below.   
'I can't believe James likes that girl… He barely even knows her! He's known me for years…'   
She sighed, somewhat sadly. The threat of tears returned, but she fought them back once again.   
"Hey."   
Jessie frowned as she felt James come and stand beside her. She looked away from him.   
"How was the reading?" she asked him, her voice dripping with spite.   
"I cut out early," he said. "I…lost interest."   
"Oh?" She asked nonchalantly, with an eyebrow lift. "Gotten over Miss Cowell already?"   
"Yeah," James said, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "She's not my type. She doesn't carry a mallet around or anything."   
Jessie wasn't sure whether to smile or hit him at that remark.   
"Oh, I see…"   
James nodded a little bit. They didn't say anything for awhile, then James looked over at her.   
"Jessie?"   
"What?"   
"I'm sorry."   
"For…?"   
He sighed.   
"For yelling at you, for insulting you, for defying you, for saying you looked like Jezebel, for screwing up our plans…"   
"Is that all?" she asked.   
"No… I'm also sorry for paying attention to Nina, when the prettiest girl I know was right beside me."   
Jessie couldn't help the flow of a light blush that spread across her face.   
"You're forgiven…I suppose…"   
James smiled sweetly, then smirked.   
"Oh, and another thing about Nina…"   
"What's that?"   
"She isn't…" he started, his hands inching over to her, "the least bit…TICKLISH!" he yelled, jumping behind her and tickling her stomach.   
Jessie broke out into peals of laughter, despite herself, as she ordered him to stop. He shook his head and just grinned as he tickled her. She turned to face him and tried to shoo his hands away, but he was strong, and persisted.   
"James! Knock it off!" she cried out, laughing.   
Her hands gripped his arms, trying to push him away, but he fought it, moving close to her. Jessie's eyes met his and he realized just how close he was…their bodies were practically pressed together, and he had her almost leaning out over the railing. He realized another thing, too. There was a tickle in his heart. He became lost in her eyes. Jessie's laughs were reduced to giggles as his hands slowed their work, until he finally stopped. Jessie was quiet, her hands still resting lightly on his arms, his hands holding her waist gently. They were captivated by the other's eyes, and could see them coming closer and closer…until finally, James pressed his lips to hers and kissed her sweetly.   
After several seconds, their lips parted and they smiled at each other.   
"Did you feel that?" James whispered.   
"Feel what?" she asked in the same tone.   
"A tickle…in your heart?"   
"Wha…?"   
She remembered.   
'Oh. That stupid book again.'   
She frowned, and James got nervous.   
"Please," she scoffed. "A tickle?"   
Her smirk softened into a smile.   
"That was way better than a tickle," she said, pulling him back for another kiss.   


**End!**   
  
  
  



End file.
